Novena to St. Jude for Desperate Cases, Hopeless Situations, and Urgent Needs
The Novena to St. Jude: Hope for the Hopeless
For centuries, Catholics around the world have turned to Saint Jude Thaddeus, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus, as a special intercessor in desperate and seemingly hopeless situations. Known as the “Patron of Hopeless Cases,” St. Jude is a source of comfort for anyone carrying heavy burdens, financial struggles, illness, or urgent needs.
What is a Novena?
The word novena comes from the Latin word for “nine.” A novena is a traditional Catholic devotion in which a prayer is offered for nine consecutive days, asking God’s grace through the intercession of a saint. Novenas are not magic formulas but acts of faith, persistence, and trust in God. They answer Christ’s call that “we ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1).
Why Pray to St. Jude?
Tradition holds that Saint Jude was a relative of Jesus. He was a faithful apostle who spread the Gospel with courage. Because his name was often confused with Judas Iscariot, many avoided invoking him for centuries. For this reason, St. Jude became known as the saint of last resort, the one to turn to when all else seemed lost. Today, countless faithful testify to answered prayers and powerful help through his intercession.
The Novena Prayer to St. Jude
Below is the most common and traditional novena prayer used around the world. You may pray it for nine consecutive days, or return to it daily whenever you are in need:
Pray it along with us, with every prayer on screen:
(The full novena prayer is below.)
How to Pray the Novena
- Begin with the Sign of the Cross.
- Pray the Novena Prayer to St. Jude slowly and sincerely.
- Pause to present your personal petitions to God.
- Conclude with one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.
- Remain faithful for nine days, or pray it daily for ongoing needs.
Trust in God’s Timing
When we pray a novena, we entrust our needs to God through the prayers of His saints. Sometimes the answer is immediate; other times, God responds in unexpected ways. What matters is that we grow in faith, hope, and love — knowing we are never alone.
“Saint Jude, Apostle of Christ, pray for us.”
Novena Prayer to St. Jude
O most holy Apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus.
The Church honors and invokes you universally,
as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of.
Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone.
Make use, I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you,
to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of.
Come to my assistance in this great need,
that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven
in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings,
particularly… (state your petitions here) …
and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever.
I promise, O blessed Saint Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor,
to always honor you as my special and powerful patron,
and to gratefully encourage devotion to you.
Amen.
Concluding Prayers
- 1 Our Father
- 1 Hail Mary
- 1 Glory Be
Where Does This Novena Come From?
This novena is newer than you might think.
St. Jude is not.
He is one of the Twelve.
St. Luke names him in the list of Apostles, right before Judas Iscariot.
— Luke 6:16
Same name.
Very different man.
Tradition holds that for centuries many Christians hesitated to call on him, because his name sounded like the traitor's.
Then came 1929.
A Claretian priest in Chicago, Fr. James Tort, began a novena to St. Jude at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
Many of his people worked in the steel mills.
Money was tight.
The novena's closing night fell on St. Jude's feast, October 28, 1929.
The church overflowed.
More than a thousand people stood outside just to hear it.
That same week, the stock market crashed.
And people kept coming.
That parish became the National Shrine of St. Jude.
The devotion is just as strong in Mexico.
In Mexico City, crowds fill the church of San Hipólito on the 28th of every month to honor him.
We don't know who first wrote this exact prayer.
But it has been prayed for nearly a century by people standing right where you may be standing now.
You are not the first person to bring a hopeless case to St. Jude. Not even close.
One more thing.
Calling St. Jude the patron of hopeless cases is a devotion, not a doctrine.
Asking the saints to pray for us is Church teaching (CCC 956).
And notice how the novena ends: with the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be.
St. Jude prays with you.
The help still comes from God.
Praying for Financial Help?
Many people pray to St. Jude when money troubles feel overwhelming. Pray the Prayer to St. Jude for Urgent Financial Help →
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